ABJ
Byrd, others will not be suspended Tribe pitcher relieved, says possible HGH penalty was a distraction
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Saturday, Apr 12, 2008
CLEVELAND: Neither Paul Byrd nor any other player cited in the Mitchell Report for using performance enhancing substances will be disciplined by Major League Baseball.
That was one of the decisions reached by Commissioner Bud Selig, as outlined in a joint statement from the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association. ''I didn't think it was bothering me that much, but it was,'' Byrd said Friday. ''I felt a sense of relief when I found out that there would be no suspension. I think it (not knowing) affected me a lot more than I thought.''
Byrd was named by the San Francisco Chronicle as a user of human growth hormone from 2002 to 2005, when it formally was banned by the commissioner. Byrd admitted being a user, citing a medical condition.
Cont...